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Can You Ever Forgive Me?
}} Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a 2018 American biographical film directed by Marielle Heller. The cast of the film consists of Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2018. It was released in the United States on October 19, 2018 by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Plot In 1991, following the critical and commercial failure of her biography of Estée Lauder, author Lee Israel struggles with financial troubles, writer's block, and alcoholism. With her agent unable to secure her an advance for a new book, Israel sells her possessions to cover expenses, giving a personal letter she received from Katharine Hepburn to book dealer Anna. During all this, she restarts an old friendship with drug dealer Jack Hock. While researching a potential Fanny Brice biography, Israel discovers two letters written by Brice, one of which she takes and shows Anna. Anna gives a low offer due to the bland content. Israel returns home and adds a postscript to the second letter before bringing it back to Anna, who takes the letter for $350. Israel then starts forging and selling letters by deceased celebrities, incorporating intimate details to command high prices. Anna, a fan of Israel's writing, tries to initiate a romantic relationship but is rebuffed. When one of Israel's letters raises suspicion for its unguarded discussion of Noël Coward's sexuality, her buyers start blacklisting her. Unable to sell the forgeries, she has Jack sell the letters on her behalf. She also starts stealing authentic letters from libraries and archives to sell, replacing them with forged duplicates. While Israel is out of town committing one such theft, her cat dies under Jack's care. She ends their friendship but continues their partnership out of necessity. The FBI arrests Jack while he is attempting a sale. He cooperates with them, resulting in Israel being served with a court summons. She retains a lawyer, who advises her to show contrition by getting a job, doing community service, and joining Alcoholics Anonymous. In court, Israel admits she enjoyed creating the forgeries and does not regret her actions, but realizes that her crimes were not worth it because they did not show her true self as a writer. The judge sentences Israel to five years' probation and six months' house arrest. Sometime later, Israel reconciles with Jack, now dying of AIDS, and receives his permission to write a memoir about their escapades. While passing a bookstore, she sees a Dorothy Parker letter she forged on sale for $1900. Disgusted, she writes the store owner a sarcastic note in Parker's voice. Upon receiving Israel's note and realizing that the letter in the storefront window is a fake, the owner removes it from the window but changes his mind and decides to keep it on display. Cast *Melissa McCarthy as Lee Israel *Richard E. Grant as Jack Hock Videos Trailers Category:Films Category:2018 films Category:2018 in film Category:English-language films Category:American films Category:2018 American films Category:2010s films Category:2010s American films Category:Biographical films Category:American biographical films Category:2018 biographical films Category:2018 American biographical films Category:2010s biographical films Category:2010s American biographical films Category:Comedy-drama films Category:American comedy-drama films Category:2018 comedy-drama films Category:2018 American comedy-drama films Category:2010s comedy-drama films Category:2010s American comedy-drama films Category:LGBT-related films Category:American LGBT-related films Category:2018 LGBT-related films Category:2018 American LGBT-related films Category:2010s LGBT-related films Category:2010s American LGBT-related films Category:Criminal comedy films Category:American criminal comedy films Category:2018 criminal comedy films Category:2018 American criminal comedy films Category:2010s criminal comedy films Category:2010s American criminal comedy films Category:Biographical films about writers Category:Films based on biographies Category:Films set in 1991 Category:Films set in New York City Category:Films shot in New York (state) Category:Films directed by Marielle Heller Category:Gay-related films Category:Lesbian-related films Category:LGBT-related buddy films Category:LGBT-related comedy-drama films Category:LGBT-related films based on actual events Category:Films produced by Anne Carey Category:Films produced by Amy Nauiokas Category:Films produced by David Yarnell Category:Screenplays by Nicole Holofcener Category:Screenplays by Jeff Whitty Category:Films scored by Nate Heller Category:Films shot by Brandon Trost Category:Films edited by Anne McCabe Category:Archer Gray Productions films Category:Fox Searchlight Pictures films Category:Rated R